Minnesota · Crow Wing County
Crooked Lake Fishing guide
Crooked Lake covers 463 acres in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, reaching 72 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 16.6 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 15 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Just a few0.7per gill net19"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 13 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 13 fish
2023Lengths measured · 3 fish
2016Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 6 fish
2012Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 4 fish
2006Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Largemouth bassFair numbers42.4per hr (electrofishing)11"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 142 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 142 fish
2023Lengths measured · 11 fish
2016Lengths measured · 86 fish
2012Lengths measured · 110 fish
2006Northern pikeFair numbers7.4per gill net16"Typical38"Biggest
Lengths measured · 78 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2025Lengths measured · 5 fish
2025Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 73 fish
2023Lengths measured · 104 fish
2016Lengths measured · 99 fish
2012BluegillJust a few10.5per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 194 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2025Lengths measured · 71 fish
2025Lengths measured · 123 fish
2023Lengths measured · 15 fish
2016Lengths measured · 189 fish
2012CrappieJust a few2.3per trap net8"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 46 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2025Lengths measured · 2 fish
2025Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 44 fish
2023Lengths measured · 13 fish
2016Lengths measured · 27 fish
2012Rock bassGood numbers3.2per hr (electrofishing)8"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 12 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2025Lengths measured · 5 fish
2025Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 7 fish
2023Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 4 fish
2016Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 22 fish
2012Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish Crooked Lake through the year
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. At 16.6 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Largemouth are on the shallow spawning flats and protected bays, where beds go on firm bottom next to isolated cover.
- Summer
- Largemouth are in and along the weeds: cabbage and milfoil edges, matted cover and shade. On a lake that drops to 72 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 16.6 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. On a lake that drops to 72 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Largemouth bass | Northern pike | Walleye |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | 19" | — |
| 2023 | 19" | 38" | 29" |
| 2016 | 13" | 35" | 20" |
| 2012 | 18" | 38" | 26" |
| 2006 | 15" | 34" | 24" |
| 1994 | 15" | 34" | 29" |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
Walleye · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | 3,600 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 1,710 fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 3,618 fingerlings |
| 2017 | Walleye | 3,800 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Crooked Lake was conducted in June and August 14, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment Program (LBMA) staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at 10 sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample four stations, and a 15-foot seine was used at five stations. One station was not seined due to dense vegetation making site traversal difficult. Nearshore sampling captured 18 species of fish including seven species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Least Darter, Rock Bass, and Smallmouth Bass) and one species tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Black Bullhead).
A June 2025 trap net survey was also conducted by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment Program (LBMA) staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline in locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Trap net sampling captured ten species of fish, including one that is intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Rock Bass). Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, and Brown Bullhead comprised a majority of the catch by number and Biomass
Read the full DNR narrative
The nearshore and trap net were combined with gill net data from a June 2023 survey to describe the fish community and provide a fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Black Bullhead and Common Carp). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.
Results from this survey provide evidence that the fish community in Crooked Lake is healthy as indicated by an FIBI score above the exceptional use impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes.These results are similar to previous findings, which indicated that Crooked Lake is fully supporting aquatic life. The survey results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Mississippi River - Brainerd watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. You can help protect the fish community in Crooked Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Crooked Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Crooked Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- Crooked Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Crooked Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Hanks Lake · 165 ac · 1 mi
- Portage Lake · 287 ac · 1.5 mi
- Clearwater Lake · 906 ac · 1.8 mi
- Bay Lake · 2,330 ac · 2.2 mi
- Nokay Lake · 704 ac · 3.1 mi
- Partridge Lake · 188 ac · 3.3 mi
- Turtle Lake · 108 ac · 3.9 mi
- Borden Lake · 1,011 ac · 5.1 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Crooked Lake?
Crooked Lake reaches 72 ft at its deepest point; about 51% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Crooked Lake?
Crooked Lake covers 463 acres with about 10 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Crooked Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Crooked Lake average 16.6 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Crooked Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Crooked Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Crooked Lake have a public access?
Yes. Crooked Lake has one public access site: Crooked Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Crooked Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 19"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.
When was Crooked Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Crooked Lake in 2025, the most recent of 15 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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